City Glow, Mountain Whisper

Chiho Aoshima

27 July - 31 December 2006

Part of the following series:

Gloucester Road Commission

City Glow, Mountain Whisper by Chiho Aoshima for Gloucester Road Underground station was the artist’s first solo project in the UK.

Chiho Aoshima uses digital media to create unique and extraordinary worlds full of invented creatures in imaginary landscapes. The style of Japanese scroll paintings is evident in Aoshima’s work but the result is very different from that created by traditional painting techniques. She uses computer technology to create detailed and complex images of fantasy worlds. Here, the conventions of perspective and gravity give way to artificial environments that border on the psychedelic.

“My work feels like strands of my thoughts that have flown around the universe before coming back to materialise.”

Each of the arches on the District and Circle line platform at Gloucester Road station contained a part of an elaborate composition that expands along the platform. a beautiful landscape that gradually transforms from day to night and from an urban to a rural scene, echoing the journeys of LU passengers. The vibrant colours and details keep the viewer’s gaze in constant motion.

Chiho Aoshima City Glow, Mountain Whisper shows a timeless world created by contemporary technology. It suggests a utopian vision of the earth in which the past and future have collided and the boundaries between organic creatures and inanimate things have broken down. It alludes to the results of genetic, technological and environmental developments. A hybrid of the human, the animal, the plant and the man-made is proposed, and life is literally breathed into each building and mountain.

Chiho Aoshima City Glow, Mountain Whisper 2006
Courtesy Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin
Paris/Blum & Poe, Los Angeles
copyright 2006 Chiho Aoshima/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd.
All Rights Reserved

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Visiting Information

Artworks for this project are not currently available to visit. The stations where they were / will be installed are listed below.

Comments

  • stunning and unforgetable. thankx for bringing Chiho Aoshima works to our everyday life.

    Christophe Demoulin

  • I came through on a business trip, and I was awed by the simple beauty of this exhibition. I”ve always been a fan of this artform’s predecessors this distillation takes the cake!

    Dax W

  • this is the most wonderfully uplifting, enjoyable and exciting piece of platform art I have ever seen

    Anon

  • This is a typical Japanese contemporary art work.

    DAISUKE

  • I loved this exhibition so much, that I went the extra stop to Gloucester Road quite a few times to see it. While I think the new installation is very good, I have to confess to missing Chiho”s work brightening up my day. I eqaully loved the pencil cartoon piece at Piccadilly Circus, but to my shame can”t remember the name of the artist. Have you ever considered working with the artists to take it the next step – working on the inside of carriages, or on a smaller scale oyster card holders even? The idea of being able to have a little reminder of the exhibitions with me everyday would be just fantastic!

    Alex Lawson

  • Wonderful exhibition! Highly recommended. I would love a poster – they are really beautiful!

    Niamh Shields

  • The artwork is absolutely amazing! Is great that transport for London are being so forward thinking in choosing such creative pursuits. It certainly makes taking a tube in London a pleasurable experience! Lee Forbes

    Lee Forbes

  • Chiho Aoshima’s installation at the Gloucester station is marvelous. I’ve gone out of my way to see it three times now. Thank you, tfl!

    Bruce Holland Rogers

  • Platform for Art”s current project, City Glow, Mountain Whisper by Aoshima, takes my breath away. Her work is bold, charming and inventive. It is my favourite PFA project thus far. I wish we could walk through the arches and enter that world! Thanks for bringing great art to the tube.

    S Peterson Willis

  • This exhibition has absolutely captured me, it is like being transplanted into a psychadelic wonderland whilst at the same time being on the tube. Incredible!

    Paul Smith

  • I live beside a mountain range in the north of Ireland. And I travel to London regularly. So, as you can imagine, I love this piece of artwork. Fabulous. Good. Thank you.

    Brian T

  • I have became a great fan of chiho aoshima since visiting the baltic earlier this year. I am a BA media student, so seeing software tools i was just starting to learn used to such grand effect was insperational to me! Her dedication to her art is only higtened by skill nessasary to sucessfully create, and animate, such art using vector drawing tools.

    Anon

  • Absolutely beautiful and probably one of my favorite examples of the Platform for Art programme I’ve seen. It works so wonderfully in the space – this beautiful glowing art amidst the stone. It always raises a smile when I come into Glouscester Road from the west – and makes up for the s-l-o-w-n-e-s-s of the District and Circle. Thank you so much for commissioning Aoshima for this. GORGEOUS

    Carrie Bishop

  • I’ve been seeing the posters for this platform art all over London for months, and every time, they caught my eye. I moved to Putney at the weekend, and as I was travelling home on the District Line, I found myself face to face with this amazing art at last, almost by accident. The images are absolutely beautiful – warm, tranquil, fascinating. I can’t stop staring at them whenever I go through the station. I know that you can get limited edition prints of ‘City Glow’ but they cost a fortune. Is there any chance of being able to purchase postcards / small posters of this art? I would dearly love to have a copy of the images to look at after the exhibition has gone.

    J. Knight

  • I was on my way to Sloane Square when I happened to see this exhibition as we pulled into Glocester Road station. What an impact! I actually stood up to get a better look! I hastily scribbled down the artists name as the train pulled out and made sure that I walked back to the station later on, so that I could get a much better. Fabulous. It is such a good idea and such fantastic artwork that it has actually made my day. Brilliant. Thank you. P.O.

    Patrick Oliver

  • Fantastic and magical, particularly on a wet evening. A great idea and an imaginative re-use of the victorian arches.

    Jim Reddaway

  • I absolutely love this exhibition and try to go via the station whenever I can to see it. Platform art is a fabulous idea and it would be great to see it at more stations.

    Anon

  • The artwork is great, and it fits perfectly in the context of the tube station. It’s like an underground city through which the underground traveller passes. It soothes your brain and your eyes.It’s relaxing before and after a hard day.

    arianna menazzi moretti

  • The combination of such beautiful work in an ordinary place is genius. It’s a delight passing through this station – so uplifting. Makes any commute a pleasure.

    Claudine

  • I love these pictures. I wish I could buy posters or postcards. My son and I will miss the pictures when the exhibition ends

    Alison McCourt

  • I had never heard of Chiho Aoshima before I saw the poster advertising the exhibition at Gloucester Road tube station. I went out of my way to go and have a look at this art work and thought it was absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for putting art on the underground, it really does improve people’s quality of life in London. A truely inspired idea and I look forward to being introduced to other artists on my way to work!

    Lisa Gilchrist

  • The Chiho Aoshima work at Gloucester Road is a truly inspiring and thrilling exhibition. I am now torn between wanting the art to stay there forever and waiting to see what the next exhibition will be!! Well done to all those involved in making this happen.

    Duncan Symonds

  • I was just coming to London for a few days for work and got to come to Gloucester Road Station. The project is great and the tube galleries are transformed to Art galleries. It is a wonderful place to see Art ! It give light and poesy to the tunnels ! Thanks

    Beryl Le Vigoureux

  • Absolutely fantastic art work, tfl you should have art on so many more tube platforms as it totally lifts your day

    Anon

  • We made a special trip to go along and stand on the platform opposite to have a proper look. I kept whizzing by on the train and being stunned by it every time. It was good to take some time to take it all in. It’s hard to imagine anything better replacing it… As everyone else has said, where are the posters!

    Ian Rawlinson

  • Absolutely in every respect superb! I really enjoyed walking down the platform from city to mountain and could have happily gazed at the view for hours. Thank you to the artist and TfL for displaying such an impressive work of art. If I could make one suggestion, it would be for more of the same… :)

    Richard Stiles

  • I really don’t see myself as an art-interested person, but this is just so great that i had to show my appreciation! Every morning i gaze into the walls of glocester road station… It does wonders!

    Martin Aasly

  • Oh, this is so lovely and brightens up my day every time I go past. It gives a transformational and entirely hopeful view of the city. Please please please start selling a poster! (or just never take it down)

    Anon

  • At times, We all need to get away from raw reality. Virtual art is definately a big help especially when it comes to real; physically being there.

    Rochelle

  • What a sensational piece! It is transporting and uplifting. Seen the requests for posters etc but no response from PFA. Well? any possibility (even selling those little posters that are around the tube system would be great. I’d steal one if not for the CCTV!) Note I do not give permission for my email address to be shared with any thrid party.

    Matt Dixon

  • great work! it put a smile on my face and i walked the length of the platform to enjoy it

    Anon

  • I was visiting London last week and I love this art work… I had a dream where the buildings were talking ( I think I was very tired from travel!) Can posters be purchased of any part of this piece? It’s unforgettable, and I wish I could take it home!

    Lara Waters Holm

  • What a beautiful work… magical. Chiho should be employed to redesign tube trains and stations! The station should sell posters of this and her other pieces.

    Ben

  • It’s sublime. It really is.

    Mike

  • This is a truly beautiful, thought provoking and life affirming display. After seeing the artwork whilst passing though the station this weekend I made the effort to go back for a proper look. I’m so glad I did. City Glow, Mountain Whisper is a absolutely beautiful artwork. The colours mesmerise whilst the gentleness of the transition from day to night leavers the viewer looking back and wondering when night actually fell. A wonderful, wonderful artwork.

    Anon

  • Such a beautiful and tranquil piece! My personal love it the night section. Since seeing this I was up in Aberdeen and saw another piece of Chiho’ work in the Art Museum in Schoolhill which was great.

    Anon

  • I’ve been in London two weeks ago and I’ve seen the big posters anouncing this exhibition. Unfortunately I didn’ have the chance to see it but I was so amazed with these sweet sweet creatures that I took pictures of the posters! (Luísa, 27, Portugal)

    Luísa

  • I was supposed to get off at earl’s ct. today but heard an announcement about ‘district line’ and ‘Earl’s court’, so I jumped off the piccadilly line at Gloucester Rd and went to the District Line Westbound platform… I suddenly just noticed the most beautiful colours on the wall opposite me – and was mesmerised! Stunning and it made my day!

    Leticia

  • Absolutely fabulous! I wish they’d put this artwork at gantshill station where I travel from every day! Does anyone know where I could buy her prints from? any chance of getting takashi murakami in to do a station!?

    Anon

  • I love what TFL and Chiho Aoshima have done. I first saw it last week when I was on the way to meet friends, but I went back today specifically to have a better look. I think it’s a fantastic idea to showcase art around town, thank you!

    Anon

  • I absolutely love this exhibition! and the work compliments the architecture at gloucester road so well. does Chiho Aoshima have a website? The style is fantastic, I’ll definitely find out more about this ‘superflat’ stuff.

    Mary

  • I’m from Spain and I’ve been 9 days takin’ the tube at gloucester Road station and I think that the idea of decorate the underground like this is really COOL!!

    Imanol

  • The station has looked fantastic with the different artists featured – it’s a pleasure to use and I thank you for the opportunity to be introduced to some wonderful art!

    Anon

  • Again another exciting display – I felt positively drawn to the work and enjoyed discovering it’s lateral unfolding as the train moved off. Clever yet simple stuff. Echoes of recent Flaming Lips sleeve artwork…Superb! Lewis, Fulham

    Lewis Nolan

  • his is such a beautiful, mesmeric piece – and really should be on permanent display! I find myself looking for reasons to travel via Gloucester Road just to see it. I will miss its presence so much when it goes.

    Michael Bracewell

  • Thank you for making what could be yet another dreary commute through London a sublime experience. I look forward to passing through Gloucester Rd station at both ends of the day. Well done for making art what it should be – accessible! GS

    Anonymous

  • Visiting from New Zealand in August and stayed near Gloucester Rd underground and wondered what the lights were that caught my eye when waiting at the platform. By day it brightens the station and by night it lights the whole area. What a great piece of work, please purchase it as a permanent exhibition. Lois from Nelson, NZ

    Lois Moreland

  • There is a great art gallery in the North Laine area of Brighton called O Contemporary currently offering beautiful limited edition prints by Chiho, including City Glow, if you fell in love with the commmision at Gloucester Road like I did!

    Sarah Henderson

  • The first time I saw this I was stunned it is so beautiful it lights up the whole station. I had to go back to see it again, and again to get the full impact. It is just so special. I would like to see it as a permanent feature.

    Daphne Salter

  • Absolutely fabulous! I wish theyd put this artwork at gantshill station where I travel from every day! Does anyone knwo where I could buy her prints from? any chance of getting takashi murakami in to do a station!?

    Anonymous

  • Fantastic. I have 2 Chiho Aoshima signed prints and it is great to see her work in the UK.

    Anonymous

  • This exhibition is amazing, it really makes the commute so much nicer! Is there any way to purchase prints or posters? Great choice!

    Lynn Minnaert

  • Fantastic work, best I have seen in at this station during my short time in London. Lovely use of the space

    Nate

  • I like to use Gloucester Road Station. The artwork past and present is so beautiful to look at. Well done – what a splendid idea. Regina Hauke

    Regina Hauke

  • remarkable and entirely thoughtful work which made me respond to the idea of the city and city life with an entirely new frame…

    trenton oldfield

  • Just to say I saw the exhibition at Gloucester Road last night. Thought it was fantastic! Keep up the good work.

    Derek, Kennington

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